playing distractedly with his fingers, jaemin looked intensely at jeno who had just closed the fridge for the fifth time before re-opening it again and looking through its containing.

it had been one week. one full week since renjun had told jaemin – not that he was aware of that, in fact, he had told nana – that he now had feelings for jaemin and that he was such an asshole allowing himself to develop feelings for someone when he already had a perfect boyfriend. hence, it had been one week since renjun had decided that he would make jeno break up with him without doing it himself to hurt the boy less. but let's be completely honest and real, jeno was as hurt as he would have been if renjun had broken up with him.

the poor jeno was all depressed and sad. his eye-smile hadn't made an appearance for what seemed like forever, and the boy rarely smiled. thankfully, jaemin did manage to make him a bit happier from time to time, but the hybrid could feel that it was not fully sincere.

jeno was completely broken from the inside, left without an explanation in the incomprehension of his boyfriend's acts. one day, renjun was all lovey-dovey with him, and the next, he rejects him and ignores him. without a single warning nor a single explanation.

renjun had started coming back home later than usual. sure, he was often hanging out with jaemin, which explained why the boy wasn't at home on time anymore, but some days, he simply stayed out in the cold, waiting for karma to hit him and punish himself for being the worst boyfriend ever. and some days, he would even come back when jeno was already asleep. these days were the hardest, because when he entered the house and saw his boyfriend sleeping so peacefully, it was hard for him to resist taking him in his arms, kissing him everywhere and whispering in his ear that everything would be alright. but he knew very well it wouldn't, and these nights, he always ended up bawling his eyes out in the bathroom, hating himself even more than he already hated himself.

fully aware of all of this, jaemin tried his best to find a solution that would help both of the boys he had developed feelings for, even though he knew very well that he would end up hurt.

since jeno pushed him to see renjun more and to grab information about why renjun acted that way, jaemin tried his best to reason renjun and make him understand that making jeno break up with him wasn't the solution.

one problem though: renjun never talked of jeno. or at least, not enough for jaemin to reason him fully.

the hybrid tried his best to ask renjun questions about his boyfriend or even invite him to their friendly hangouts, but renjun would always be very vague and he never dared to voice out that him and his boyfriend weren't in the best terms these days.

and what could jaemin do more? sure, the idea of telling the whole truth and having both boys going back to being the happiest couple and forgetting about jaemin didn't rejoice the bunny boy, but one day or another, he would need to stop being selfish and accept that he needs to give renjun and jeno their happiness back to the detriment of his.

jaemin was startled out of his daze by a loud beeping sound. turning his head to the side, he realised that it was only the fridge, the door of which had been left open too long by a zombie-like jeno.

seeing that the korean male wasn't bulging despite the deafening beep, the hybrid stood up from the couch and walked inside the kitchen, standing behind jeno and wrapping an arm around his chest to pull him back and close the fridge's door. as soon as the beeping sound ceased, jaemin let out a relieved sigh and wrapped his second arm around jeno as well, making him back hug the human.

"jeno... what is happening...?" jaemin asked, his face squished against jeno's back.

"i'm just... nothing..." the other sighed, placing his hands over jaemin's that were on his chest.

"you're overthinking, right?" the hybrid questioned, knowing very well the answer to that question.

jeno shrugged. "maybe..."

jaemin smiled sadly, using his arms that were around jeno to turn him around and look at him in the eye. his eyes were puffy and red, sign that he hadn't had the best sleep and that he had been crying for a while.

"w-would you like me to help you change your mind?" jaemin asked, one of his hands finding jeno's jaw to cup it sweetly.

jeno looked into jaemin's shining eyes, getting somehow lost and mesmerized by their depth. he let himself fall in a daze, his thoughts becoming unusually confusing to him. how had he never noticed how beautiful jaemin looked? how had he never realised that the hybrid's features were so perfect? and how had he never taken into consideration the fast-beating of his heart whenever him and the hybrid would find themselves spending some time alone?

it seemed like jaemin was the medicine to each and every evil of jeno's world, able to heal any once of sadness or anger that the human could feel. and in this harsh phase him and renjun were living, jeno's sanity was only due to jaemin's presence.

"...no? jeno?"

"huh?" the human shook his head, slowly coming back to reality and realising that his and jaemin's faces were close. he couldn't help the light blush that tinted his cheeks at their close proximity.

"you still didn't answer my question." jaemin chuckled, the fingers of his hand that was still cupping jeno's cheek caressing his jaw in a feathery way.

"y-your question?" jeno blinked, leaning into jaemin's oh-so-pleasing touch.

"would you like me to help you change your mind?"

the human swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat as he refrained himself harder than ever to let out the truth.

just being with you helps changing my mind.

this was what jeno thought; this was what jeno wanted to tell jaemin.

but he couldn't. not when he had a boyfriend whom he loved. being this close and this intimate with someone else was wrong; his feelings were wrong. none of this should be happening. but at the same time, he couldn't stop himself. jaemin's angelic presence was the cure to jeno's troubles, and the lovely boy had become so important to jeno that he couldn't push him away.

"jeno..." jaemin rolled his eyes, chuckling lightly and sounding like a blessing to jeno. "you spaced out again."

"s-sorry." jeno apologised quickly, blushing again at the thoughts he was having. indeed something was wrong. these feelings he had when he was around jaemin, they were the same as those he had had for renjun when they first started seeing each other. it almost seemed like he was falling in love all over again, but for someone who wasn't his boyfriend.

"so... do you want my help?" jaemin asked, tilting his head to the side and making both of his bunny ears flap to the side cutely.

deep down, jeno knew he had to say no, he was sure of it. this would be the best way to make whatever feelings were developing in him disappear. this would solve all of his problems. no more jaemin, just jeno and renjun, no more confusion.

but who in their sane mind was able to ignore the temptation that was jaemin.

"yes, nana." jeno nodded slowly, his eyes turning into crescents as he smiled. "please, help me changing my mind."

and boy, never had he imagined jaemin would change his mind that much...

⊗

"jaemin!!!"

jeno's head shot up as he held the door of a nice café open for the hybrid to walk inside.

jaemin had promised him that he had very nice plans that would make him and jeno happy and that would allow them to spend a pleasant afternoon. the hybrid had dragged him to this café, and let's say that jeno didn't expect for the younger to be fanboyed over as if he was an idol the second he set a foot in there.

if anything, jeno was rejoicing himself to the thought of spending an afternoon out alone with jaemin – in fact, it sounded very much like a date. but apparently, this would not be the case...

"hello, mark!" jaemin giggled, waving his hand at the black-haired boy who had jumped away from the booth he was sitting in to come and face jaemin.

jeno stared curiously at the boy as he wrapped his arms around jaemin's waist and pulled him in a bear hug.

staring at them with a brow raised, jeno coughed slightly to signal his presence as the boy whom he didn't know was still hugging his nana – his nana meaning his rabbit, of course, not his human, because jaemin's wasn't jeno; or was he? not that the though repelled jeno actually.

"oh." the stranger boy let out when he heard jeno coughing. "is that..."

"yes, this is jeno." jaemin declared, smiling widely at the human before wrapping his hands around his arm and pulling him closer. "you wanted to meet him, so here he is."

"it's very nice to meet you." the mark boy said, smiling at jeno. "jaemin said lots of nice things about you."

"mark!" jaemin's eyes widened as his cheeks flushed beet red, making jeno chuckle.

"oh, so you've been talking about me?" jeno raised a brow, looking down at the hybrid who was now more embarrassed than he had ever been.

"y-yeah..."

"ah... how cute are you...?" mark sighed. "oh! let's go meet the others! we were waiting for you to order!"

as mark hopped across the café agilely, jaemin followed, pulling jeno with him.

"we're meeting my friends, i hope you won't mind." jaemin whispered, slowing his steps a bit. "they're very nice, i promise. and they wanted to meet you so... i thought it would be a nice opportunity to change your mind..."

jeno smiled, readjusting jaemin's beanie on top of his head. "i don't mind. i'm very glad that i can meet your friends."

jaemin threw him a toothy smile, his cheeks rosy because of jeno's sweet words and gesture.

"so, here is the famous jeno!" a voice broke the two males out of their daze.

they both turned around, facing a booth filled with mark and five other boys that jeno had never seen in his life.

"hey guys!" jaemin waved his hand at his friends. "yes, this is jeno."

"hello everyone." the human spoke with a friendly smile, waving at jaemin's friends.

"so, jeno, meet my friends..." jaemin said, holding his arm out to introduce each of his friends. "this is mark, and next to him his boyfriend, donghyuck." the hybrid started, gesturing towards the two boys. "then we have yuta, and his boyfriend sicheng." jaemin continued pointing at a hyperactive boy wearing a beanie and another male who had his arm wrapped around the first one to hold him in place. "and finally, doyoung and taeyong." jaemin finished allowing jeno to greet the last two males. "they're a couple as well."

"it's very nice to meet you, jeno." the boy jeno remembered being donghyuck said with a warm smile. "please have a sit with us."

as requested, jeno sat down on the chair facing jaemin's friends. jaemin stayed standing by jeno's side, and before jeno could tell him to sit down as well, mark, yuta and doyoung had hopped off their seats and puled jaemin away towards the bar.

"wait! wait!" jaemin exclaimed, turning towards jeno. "what do you want to drink?"

"h-huh..." jeno was a bit taken aback by the question. it was the first time he visited this café, and he had absolutely no idea what was on their menu. "i-i'll take the same as you."

"okay, sure!" jaemin happily nodded, now letting himself being dragged to the bar where they would order.

this left jeno alone with the three other boys whom he knew nothing of except the fact that they were jaemin's friends and that he needed to make a good impression on them.

"oh my god, look at him..." the guy jeno remembered to be sicheng sighed in despair.

"he's so excited his tail is going to poke out again." taeyong stated, making jeno's eyes widen and look in the direction of jaemin and his three friends before looking back at the boys he was sitting with.

"don't look so surprised." donghyuck snorted at jeno's shocked state. "yuta, mark and doyoung are hybrids as well." he added, leaning forward not to let other people around hear them.

"i-i didn't know." jeno let out, looking at the three males that were with jaemin. he should have noticed immediately that they were hybrids. the top of their heads was hidden by beanies or hats, and jeno could even notice a small bump moving slightly at the bottom of yuta's back, surely where his tail would be.

"yuta is a dog hybrid." sigcheng explained looking fondly at his boyfriend. "a shiba to be exact."

"mark's a black cat." donghyuck added.

"and doyoung is a bunny, just like jaemin." taeyong finished.

"and... how did you all meet?" jeno asked, looking successfully at the three humans in front of him and then at the group of hybrids who were giggling together in front of the bar.

"each of us met our boyfriends in different circumstances and at different times." sicheng told. "and the three of them were already friends with jaemin, so that's how we got to know each other."

"okay, that's nice." jeno nodded, stealing glances at the four hybrids that were ordering the drinks. "and you guys have had your boyfriends for long?"

"four years for mark and i." donghyuck explained.

"two and a half for us." sicheng lifted his hand before he looked towards taeyong.

"and less than a year for doyoung and i." taeyong admitted.

"but they've been turning around each other for way longer than that, so don't be surprised if it looks like they are married, they practically are." donghyuck added, wiggling his brows at taeyong whose eyes rolled to the back of his head at donghyuck's constant nagging.

"and what about you?" sicheng asked, diverting the attention to jeno. "jaemin told us you had a boyfriend too."

"oh, yes." jeno nodded, his cheeks dusting pink as he thought about the love of his life, not bothering to think again about the unfortunate events that were happening between them at the moment. "his name is renjun. we've been together for a few years, but he always makes it seem like it's the beginning of our loving relationship with how amazing he is."

the three boys looked at jeno attentively, not speaking a word as they analysed what was said by jaemin's new friend. knowing what had happened to the bunny hybrid, the three of them couldn't help but be very protective of the boy, and make sure his environment wasn't hostile. and this was even more important considering that in the past outings they had participated in with jaemin, they had realised that the hybrid may like jeno a bit more than if he just was his owner. and they didn't want him to break jaemin's heart.

"that's nice." taeyong replied simply, keeping in mind that jeno's boyfriend didn't treat jaemin well whenever the boy was in his animal form.

this remark unwillingly brought some sort of tension around the table that the three other boys were very aware of. donghyuck and sicheng had an idea what the problem was, but jeno seemed completely oblivious and lost.

"whatever." sicheng cleared his throat. "what are the plans for after."

"i don't know, the boys will surely want to go to the park." donghyuck shrugged.

"we better not go to the same as last time. i swear that if i find myself facing the useless doberman who tried to attack yuta i'll snap."

jeno barely paid attention to their conversation, his mind still focused on the tension that had taken place between them right after he had talked about his boyfriend.

what had happened? had his voice sounded trembly? could they have understood that him and renjun weren't in the best of terms at the moment? or did they just not like him?

he had no idea what had caused such a thick tension to build around them after his sentence. they all seemed fine before, so what had changed after jeno's words?

despite being deep in thought, the human kept stealing glances at the four hybrids from time to time, something about being worried for jaemin – but he wouldn't admit that out loud. however, this time, when he looked in the hybrid's direction, he noticed that the bartender was speaking with jaemin and jaemin only. and worse than that, he was flashing him the most seductive smile he could, and his hand was over jaemin's arm which rested on the counter, but it was obvious that the hybrid was trying to pull it back because he was uncomfortable.

jeno's whole body tensed when he realised that the bartender's other hand was reaching for jaemin's head on which jeno's beanie was placed to hide the boy's ears.

"hey!" jeno exclaimed, not even thinking as he hopped off his chair and stomped towards the bar, catching the attention of jaemin's hybrid and human friends as well as a few other people around the room.

the bartender didn't pay attention to him, causing jeno to approach the bar and stand right beside jaemin to push the man's hand that was reaching for jaemin's beanie away.

"who do you think you are?" he asked menacingly. "let go of him right now."

the bartender seemed taken aback, causing him to withdraw his other hand from jaemin's arm. "wow, chill. i thought he said he didn't have a partner. so, i thought he was free to have."

jeno saw red at the boy's words. thank god he had a bit of self-control, because otherwise, a harsh punch would have landed in the boy's nose seconds ago.

"he is certainly not an object that his free to take!" jeno raised his voice a slight bit, the vein on the side of his neck becoming visible. "so, have some decency and respect for him!"

"yeah, okay, cool, i'll keep time in mind next time- "

"and if i ever see you trying anything with him again..." jeno cut the bartender's words, pointing a menacing finger at him. "...you won't be able to clock in at work the next day."

and with that being said, jeno wrapped a protective arm around jaemin's waist before he dragged the boy with him away from the bar and closer to the table they were sitting at.

the place was completely silent, no customer daring to talk as the three hybrids had their eyes wide in shock and the three human friends were exchanging worried looks.

but none of this mattered for jeno right now. for him, nothing existed in the world beside jaemin at this exact moment. and he wanted nothing more than to keep the boy safe and sound, far away from bad people and dangerous things.

"t-thank you s-so m-much..." jaemin said barely above a whisper, his eyes holding so much thankfulness and sincerity.

jeno's heart missed a beat as he let himself drown in the ocean that were jaemin's eyes while thinking again at what had just happened. he opened his mouth to reply, but no words left his mouth, as if his brain couldn't find the right words. instead, his brain was slowly realising that he had just screamed at a man that was harassing jaemin in public. he had spoken out loud to affirm his opinion in front of many people. he had protected a powerless hybrid from the nasty claws of an awful human. he had defended jaemin.

and so, these thoughts couldn't stop running through his mind.

for the first time of his life, he didn't feel powerless.